Universal clock



Sept. 29, 1936. J DE Ag ET 2,056,038

UNIVERSAL CLOCK Filed June 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet];

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TRINIDAD AULO EG-REENLAND SANDVICH-IS.

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INVENTOR. John De Anqelis Name On Ahvgll s ATTORNEY.

Sept. 29, 1936. J D ANGEUS ET AL I 2,056,038

UNIVERSAL CLOCK Filed June 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNIVERSAL CLOCK John De Angelis, Mount Vernon, and Mario De Angelis, Tuckahoe, N. Y.

Application June 25, 1935, Serial No. 28,238

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in universal clocks.

The universal clock is a device which takes advantage of the fact that the earth is divided into twenty-four standard time zones, difiering successively by integral hours. The minute and second indications of the universal clock are universal for all localities. Consequently, it is sufiijcient to indicate the hour and whether it is A. M. or P. M., in order to know the exact standard time for any place differing from the local time.

Previous efforts to provide a universal hour indication have accomplished this by requiring the reader to analyze or calculate from tables or charts and the indications of the clock in order to obtain the desired time. Names of localities were not horizontally disposed, so that much inconvenience in reading was encountered. Complicated dials and arrangements obscured or distorted the local time indications.

Our invention provides a universal clock by making a minimum amount of changes to the form, configuration, or construction of an ordinary clock. Upon an ordinary twelve hour dial we provide twenty-four areas arranged about the local hour numerals and containing the names of cities, localities, radio stations, etc. Written horizontally, and designed as a background to the hour numerals. We provide a. smaller movable dial, arranged with twenty-four hour divisions, and mounted concentric to the hour dial and driven in a cheap and novel manner by the ordinary clock mechanism. The clock retains its common construction throughout, including the hour, minute and second-hand mechanism.

Accordingly, an object of our invention is to provide a universal clock which will indicate directly and clearly, by a movable twenty-four hour diaL'the standard time, A. M. or P. M., of any locality corresponding to the local time.

Another object of our invention is to provide a universal clock which will indicate local time in the usual and normal manner, by hour, minute and second-hands upon a twelve hour dial.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a universal clock upon which the names of cities and localities are read horizontally and are arranged in groups, according to the time zones in which they are located.

A further object of our invention is to provide a universal clock with a movable twenty-four hour dial which is driven in a novel, direct and cheap manner.

'A still further object of our invention is to provide a universal clock which will indicate directly and clearly, by a movable twenty-four hour dial, the standard time, A. M. or P. M., of any radio station corresponding to the local time.

Further objects of our invention together with 5 the foregoing will appear in the detailed description which is to follow in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a clock embodying the present invention. 10

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the clock seen in Fig. 1, showing also some of the gears operating the clock.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the gear mechanism located behind the clock dials for driving the 15 hour-hand and the movable dial, being a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 viewed from front of the clock.

The clock has a main dial l I with the ordinary hour numerals [2 arranged clockwise in large figures from I to 12 as shown in Fig. 1. There are also the regular minute divisions I3 dividing the outer circumference into sixty divisions. The hour hand is M and the minute hand is IS. A second hand [6 is also included to indi- 25 cate time to the second. These three. hands, I4, I 5 and I6 are prominent and show the local time as in any normal clock. All figures and hands are clearly visible to indicate this local time and no obscuring or confusion in reading it is had. Thus, for example, Fig. I illustrates 10:04:35 New York standard time, this city being chosen as the local place.

There are twenty-four circular areas I! arranged about dial H, one positioned at each hour 35 numeral l2 and half way between these hour numerals. Each of these areas I! have a radial line H to facilitate the reading of the time in connection with the inner movable dial 25. The areas l1 correspond to the twenty-four standard time zones of the earth. We have indicated the New York standard time zone 18 on top of the dial under the hour l2, but any other zone may be herein placed. The adjacent time zones are successively located according to their actual successive relation, with the zones east of New York arranged in a clockwise manner. Thus the Greenwich or London zone H], which is five hours later than New York standard time is the fifth zone in a clockwise direction from the New York 50 zone l8.

We arrange all printed matter horizontally to facilitate reading and time telling. Any desired information applicable to a zone area I! may be printed therein. We have illustrated names of 55 Movable dial 25 is arranged in the center of the clock. It is divided into twenty-four'flivi sions, and marked 1 to 12 A. M. and ,1 to 12 P. M. Arrowheads 26 mark off these divisions. This dial 25 is caused to rotate counter-clockwise, and

to make one revolution each twenty-iourhour-s in a manner hereinafter described. V

This rotation of dial 25 represents the apparent rotationxof the sun from-east to *west once each twenty-four hours, to successively'pass through each timezone which difierby integral hours. In one revolution of the dial 25, each of the twentyfour hour divisions on ritzcorresponding to each hour of the day or night, moves .successively past any one zone area. Wearrange this dial 25 so that the hour for any zone is indicated bythe arrow head -26 corresponding. to the :proper hour. The dial 25 is set so that itindicateszthe'proper standard hour'on the local zone, as readofi the clock for local time; Thus, for example, if it were 10:00 A. M. New York standard time, the arrowheadZlwould lineup directlywith the radial line ll' of theNewYork zone [8. In the illustration for 10:04:35 A; M.-local time, the arrow-. head has progressed a little counter-clockwise, corresponding to the elapsed 4 minutes and 35 seconds; The dial 25'rotates so-that each successive 'numeral 'will move past one of the radial linesfl' in 'onehour intervals. pThus the'local hour indication will :always correspond to that read on the clock dial! 1. 3

- The. hourscorresponding 'to' the standard time at anyother zone need merely be readas shown by the arrowhead -26'at the-corresponding zone area. Thu-s; in theillustration ofFig. 1, the hour indication for Shanghai is 11 P. M. The actual standard time at Shanghai at the instant is therefore -11:04:35:P. M. The process of reading'the-timeforfany locality is thus verysimple anddirect with no-necessary calculation involved. New York daylight saving time is obtained by merely shifting this :reading .to 1 the central standard time or Chicago zone '28,: one hour counterclockwise =as shown in: Fig. 1; The: international date line-is represented by radial line23 at the.

180 longitude '-zone 2|. A twenty-four hour change: is incurredas-this-line is passed. Thus at 22 we-have-marked "1 day+ and 1 day. Hence when it is -10 A.'.M.-in'New York, it is 4 A.TM.'1I1 Honolulu; 24, of the same date. However,- at Sydney -24f,=itis .'1 A.:M.'1of the following day. This fact seems ireasonable when one considers that .at'Tokio,:24'!, itzis'12 P. M. whenit is '10 A. in New York, and that .the time difference between To'kioand Sydney is one hour sincethey lie in adjacenttime zones. r

' Figure 2"isacentrarsectional' view of the clock.

'Wehave not shown theac'tuating mechanism, the

escapement, or the whole gear train which comprises the clock, sincethese are of standard constructi'on and-are well known in'the art. The

fse'cond hand I iiis driven in the usual manner by spindle- 28. Theminute hand i5 is 'mounted -lar arbor 34. 'is standard and well-known in the art.

'Although the specific source of power may be .any of the well-known forms, such as a spring or.electrical energy, the manner of transmitting at the end of the tubular arbor 29 which is driven by the gear 30. The minute gear 30 drives gear 31, which gears bear a ratio of 1:3 to each other. Gear 3| rotates counter-clockwise, and carries integral and coaxial to it the smaller gear 32. This smaller counter-clockwise gear 32, in turn, drives the larger hour gear 33 which is larger in the ratio of 1:4. The hour gear 33 thus rotates at aratio of 1:3.:4.or one twelfth the speedofthe minute gear 30. The hour hand I4 is connected to the hour gear 33 by the tubu- The operation thus far described the drive to the movable dial 25 is an important feature' of this invention. The combination internal gear and arbor for this dial 25 is shown as 35. The tubular portion 36 fits over the hour arbor .34 and rotates thereon concentric thereto. teeth engages'the counter-clockwise gear 32, as shown in. :Figures 2 and 3. The internal gear 31 is larger than the counter-clockwise gear 32 in a ratio :of 8:1. The unit 35therefore rotates 1:3:8 or one twenty-fourth the speed of the minute gear 30. Hence .the movable dial '25, which isattached at the end 38 of the tubular portion 36, rotatesonce each twenty-four hours in a The internal gear portion .31 has its Although we have described in detail a preferred form .of our invention, it will be obvious that modifications arefeasible within the scope of this invention. Thus, the indicated :zone

areasneed not'be-circular, nor disposed as-illus trated. The clock-might betmade in the form of a watch or a panel instrument for an airplane or radio set. The geographical names may well be 'replacedwith radio stations; or the clock marked for chronometer readings as against the-zero of Greenwich to the 1801degrees at the international date line; etc.

'What we claimis:-'

1. Aauniversal clock fordirectlyindicatingtime of any locality comprising an ordinary twelve hour dial having in the foreground and conspicuously displayed the hour numerals and 'divided into twenty-four indicating areas arranged about the local hour numerals; 'a relatively small movable dial arranged with twenty-four hour divisions and mounted concentric to the hour dial; clock driving mechanism; a first gear; means whereby said first gearis driven by said clock driving mechanism; -an arbor driven by said first gear for driving the minute-hand; a second gear rotating counter-clockwise when viewed from front of clock; said first gear driving said'second gear and bearing a 1:3 ratio to said second gear; a third gear-integral and coaxial with said second gear; an hour gear driven by said third gear, said third gear and saidhour gear bearing a ratio of 1:4 to each other; an arbor connecting said hour-hand to thelhour gear; said movable dialhaving aninternal gear having a tubular portion concentric with and freely rotatable on said last mentioned arbor, the teeth of said internal gear meshing with the teeth of said third gear and bearing a ratio of 8:1 with said third gear so that said movable dial makes one complete counterclockwise revolution in twenty-four hours; and means whereby the angular settings of the movable dial may be adjusted to correspond to time shifts such as for daylight saving time.

2. A universal clock for directly indicating time of any locality comprising an ordinary twelve hour dial having in the foreground and conspicuously displayed the hour numerals and divided into twenty-four indicating areas arranged about the local hour numerals; a relatively small movable dial arranged with twentyfour hour divisions and mounted concentric to the hour dial; clock driving mechanism; a first gear; means whereby said first gear is driven by said clock driving mechanism; an arbor driven by said first gear for driving the minute-hand; a second gear rotating counter-clockwise when Viewed from front of clock, said first gear driving said second gear and bearing a 1:3 ratio to said second gear; a third gear integral and coaxial with said second gear; an hour gear driven by said third gear, said third gear and said hour gear bearing a ratio of 1:4 to each other; an arbor connecting said hour-hand to the hour gear; said movable dial having an internal gear having a tubular portion concentric with and freely rotatable on said last mentioned arbor, the teeth of said internal gear meshing with the teeth of said third gear and bearing a ratio of 851 with said third gear so that said movable dial makes one complete counterclockwise revolution in twenty-four hours.

JOHN DE ANGELIS. MARIO DE ANGELIS. 

